Montel Harris gets the all-clear for spring

Posted by John Taylor on February 16, 2012, 8:44 AM EDT

AP

A senior season essentially wiped out due to injury led to a medical hardship waiver for Montel Harris. Two months removed from receiving the waiver from the NCAA, the Boston College running back is getting set for the first big test of his rehabbed knee.

The Eagles will open spring practice this weekend and, according to ESPN.com ACC blogger Heather Dinich, Harris has been medically cleared to participate in the sessions. Admitting he’d “be less than honest… if I said there wasn’t a concern” Harris could suffer a setback, head coach Frank Spaziani said he and the coaching staff will ease Harris back into action and begin the process in earnest of preparing the back for the season opener.

“That’s how Montel’s spring will go,” Spaziani said.

The return of a healthy Harris would be a huge boon for BC’s offense.

Harris is the school’s all-time leading rusher and is less than 900 yards away from becoming the career leader in the ACC. After rushing for 2,700 yards and 22 touchdowns the previous two seasons, Harris ran for just 135 yards and no touchdowns in 2011 due to a knee injury that first surfaced late in the 2010 season and was aggravated during summer camp the following season.